European shares continue to decline and attention turns to US inflation data

European shares fell on Thursday, dragged down by technology and real estate stocks, while investors focused on US inflation data to be released later on Thursday for indications of the direction of the Federal Reserve’s rate hike.

By 0714 GMT, the pan-European Stoxx 600 index fell 0.6 percent, to record a decline for the seventh consecutive session.

All eyes are on US consumer price data due to be released at 1230 GMT.

Among the sub-sectors on the Stoxx 600 index, the technology and real estate indices were both down 1.1 percent.

Arundtown shares fell 6.8 percent after Citigroup lowered its recommendation for the group’s shares to “neutral” from “buy”.

European semiconductor shares fell, with Infineon, ASML and ASMI shares recording declines between 1.3 and 2.6 percent.